Dreams
by Adraiel
Summary: A teenage girl named Aimee begins having dreams that later come true. When her dreams reveal dangerous event about to happen, she must race against time to stop it. PLEASE COMMENT!


Introduction

Amid hundreds of people in the open square, the clock chimed noon and the ringing sound stopped me dead in my tracks. 'No!' I shouted in my mind. I was sweating and gasping from running so far and for so long and yet I didn't feel tired. There was only one thing I felt and that was urgency. Or maybe it was fear. The two were mingled into one. The urgency to prevent what I knew I could not stop, and the fear that I was beginning to realize I couldn't. The clock rang again and I was reminded of my mission. I bolted through the crowds of people as fast as I could go but it was as if I was caught in a dream and my legs would only move in slow motion. I just kept running as the fear grew and grew and I began knowing in my heart that I was already too late…

Dreams

I woke up crying and gasping for breath. A cold fear gripped my heart yet I had no idea why. I tried hard to remember the dream that had woken me but it escaped me. It lingered on the edge of my memory as if taunting me. I tried going back to sleep but it was useless. The dream I couldn't remember kept bothering me. All I could remember is that it wasn't like all my other dreams. It was different somehow. I know dreams can seem very real sometimes but this was different. Every feeling and emotion had been so vivid, every color and sound so real. Oh, how I wished I could remember. Well, it had been important whatever it was. If I remembered it later I would have to write it down.

With a great effort I pushed the curiosity about the dream to the back of my mind and sat up in bed. I glanced at the clock and it read 6:15 am. I hated getting up early. I sighed an exasperated sigh thinking of how my whole day would be ruined over a stupid dream. Again that dream! It just wouldn't let me forget about it.

I got out of bed and started getting dressed and then cleaned up my room. As I was doing this I passed by the mirror and had to stop to look at myself. My big, dark brown eyes stared back at me and were slightly red from crying. My cheeks were flushed pink and my dark brown hair hung un-neatly to my mid-chest. My side bangs obscured half my face and I pushed them behind my ears only to watch them fall right back where they were before. I sighed, disgusted with myself.

I went downstairs but not before several squeaks escaped the wooden steps. I was glad I didn't have to worry about waking anyone. I lived alone with my Dad and he would have left for work some time ago. My mom died shortly after I was born and I was an only child so it was just me and my dad. I didn't see much of him since he was always working.

I finished my decent into the kitchen and got some breakfast. It was getting close to 7:30 by the time I had finished and had the kitchen cleaned up. Pretty soon Miss Winfrey would be picking me up to take me to school. Miss Winfrey was my neighbor. At 25 years old she treated me like her equal. She was the only real friend I had and we spent lots of time together. My dad liked her because she took me places I needed to go and pretty much did everything else for me that he should've done. In other words, she kept me out of his hair. I didn't mind though. I used to long for my father's love and companionship but I was so used to not having it that I didn't even want it anymore.

I was perfectly content with Miss Winfrey, who insisted I call her by her first name which was Janell. Janell was beautiful, smart, and nice, yet she didn't have much of a social life. She had little to no family and the family that she did have lived very far away. That was fine with her though, because she didn't really want to be associated with them anyways. Several of them had been in and out of jail and most of them were alcoholics. At least, that's what Janell had told me. I'd never met any of them. Oddly, she was considered the black sheep of the family although it should have been the other way around. They were all black sheep and she was a little lamb.

They had kind of disowned her after she became a born again Christian and afterwards she moved here to Clover, Wisconsin. It was about 5 years ago when she had moved in next door. I was only 10 and painfully shy so I never met her in the first few months she was here. She eventually drew me in by revealing to me she had cats which won me over immediately. We both loved cats. I had always wanted a cat but my dad was against it. Once Janell and I were friends though, I was perfectly content going over to her house to play with hers. She had 3.

I had never thought much about God when I was little but once Janell moved in next door it was kind of hard getting away from him. Janell was always talking about him and trying to explain to me how much he loved me. At first I thought she was joking about all of it but I quickly learned she was serious. She started taking me to church and pretty soon I had asked Jesus into my heart too. My whole life had changed after that.

All my pain and agony over my dead mother and absent father was so much easier to bear knowing there was a God that loved and cared for me. My dad didn't care what or who I believed in as long as he didn't have to believe it or worry about it. This made me very sad and I was determined to somehow show him that God loved and cared for him too. This was easier said than done because I never saw him and I was kind of afraid of my dad.

My mother died right after I was born and I never got to know my father because he was always gone on business. His work often took him around the world and in such cases I would have the house to myself. Everything continued in the same way. It really wasn't any different when he was gone than when he was home because either way I never saw anything of him.

If he was in the USA he was often either out of state or out of town. And if he was home he left before I got up and got back after I had gone to bed. I used to be bothered by this but after dealing with it for 15 years, it doesn't bother you anymore.

I used to try getting up really early or stay up really late in order to just catch a glimpse of him but it was hard to catch him at the right time for he always left at a different time. If ever I did manage to see him the only words I got from him were, 'what in heavens name are you doing up so early? Go back to bed or you won't be able to get up for school!', or, 'What are you doing up so late? You should know better! You're always acting like a little child that needs to be told when to go to bed!'

After several of these remarks I gave up trying to see him. I also remembered crying into my pillow when he would send a text message telling me he would be leaving for Beijing, or Moscow, or some other place half way around the world for a month or two, as casually as telling me he wouldn't be home for dinner. It just hurt to think how he couldn't even bother calling me, much less tell me in person. But that was a long time ago. I didn't even care anymore.

I was brought out of my deep thinking by the sound of someone pulling in the drive way. With an expression of horror I looked at the clock which said 8:00 and was the time Janell always picked me up. I hadn't packed my school books or lunch yet and Janell was already here! I ran up the stairs as I heard her enter through the front door. I grabbed school books off my desk and floor and stuffed them into my bag which I dropped near the door. Then I ran into the bathroom to do a quick check on my hair.

"Aimee?" I heard Janell call from downstairs.

I ran back into my room and grabbed my jacket before replying.

"Just a-oof!" I tripped over my book bag and fell flat on my face.

"Second!" I finished. I heard a soft giggle from downstairs which must have meant Janell heard my thump and put two and two together.

"Great." I mumbled to myself as I untangled my foot from my bag and picked it up along with my jacket which I had dropped during my fall. I hated my clumsy moments, which were often.

I then ran down the stairs and into the kitchen, nearly knocking Janell over in the process.

"Oof!" I said for the second time today. Two oofs and it was still early. That was a bad sign. I could tell it was going to be one of my clumsy days.

"I'm so sorry Janell!" I said with a look of horror on my face. She just laughed.

"It's fine. What's the rush?" She asked.

"I lost track of time and I haven't packed my lunch yet." I replied.

"Don't worry. I'll help you." She said with a warm smile.

I looked at Janell and couldn't help thinking how beautiful she was. She stood at 5' 4" and her long dark brown hair was pulled back in a low pony tail. Her eyes were a brilliant blue and could look at you seeing right through you. Nothing could be hidden from Janell.

"It's not like you to be behind schedule Aimee…" She said questioning. I was always very neat and orderly and liked to be on schedule.

"Guess it's just one of those mornings." I replied.

"Uh, huh." Was all she said.

We finished packing my lunch in silence and then headed out to the car. It was the middle of May and it had been rainy and cold lately. It was getting better though and today was bright and sunny. I took a deep breath admiring the sunshine when suddenly everything around me changed. For a split second I felt like I was falling and everything went black but then I was standing just like before and my vision was normal. But something was not right. I was no longer at my house with Janell admiring the sunshine. I was at school. I felt very strange and everything looked just a little off but I couldn't place what it was that was off.

I felt dizzy and my mind felt fuzzy. It was hard to concentrate on anything and it took me a few minutes to realize where I was. I tried thinking about how I had gotten to school and what was going on but my mind just wouldn't let me process it. I was beginning to feel sick.

I looked around and noticed for the first time all the students walking past me. One bumped me on purpose and I fell to the floor.

"You're late Tweety!" Called the kid who had knocked me down.

"I'd hurry up if I were you! I know how you hate to get detention!"

The kid's name was Pete and he always called me Tweety because I was small and puny and liked to sing which he called 'tweeting'. Most kids at Clover High were friendly or just kept to themselves but Pete liked to cause mischief. He and his two friends, Eddie and Al, were often in detention for picking on students. I ignored them most of the time.

At the moment I barely even noticed what he said to me. I decided I must be getting the flu or something. I picked myself up along with my books which were strewn all over the floor. Most of the kids had cleared out of the hallway which meant class must be starting. I ran to my class, nearly puking on the way. I arrived dazed and confused and opened the door timidly.

As soon as I entered I could feel the blood rise to my cheeks. Everyone was already in their seat and my teacher, Mrs. Gilbert, had already started teaching. She stopped when I came in and all the students turned their gaze on me. I saw Pete sitting in the back of the room smirking at my embarrassment.

"Well, Miss Dawson, I'm glad you decided to join us. We were afraid you had gotten lost. Please take your seat and see me after class."

"I-". I stammered. I was going to tell her I was feeling sick and would like to be excused but the glare she sent me made me think better of it.

"Yes?" She asked.

"-would be happy to." I finished. I then took my seat. Through the whole class I had to endure the looks of all the other students. I was never, ever late _or_ in trouble and some of the students disliked me because of it. Now was their chance to rub it in my face.

I began sweating feeling sicker and sicker by the minute. I was sure I was getting the flu. I felt something tugging my hair behind me and heard Pete say quietly: "What happened this morning? Did a cat try to eat you?"

I ignored his comment and grabbed my hair from out of his hands. This angered him and he was about to say something else when Mrs. Gilbert turned her gaze on him and said: "Is there a problem Peter?"

Pete grimaced. He hated being called Peter.

"No Mrs. Gilbert."

"Good." She said.

As soon as the bell rang everyone was out the door as quick as they could go. I stayed where I was. When Pete passed my desk he bumped it making my pencil fall off it.

"Looser!" He whispered.

I reached down to pick up my pencil and slowly gathered up my books. I could feel Mrs. Gilbert staring at me all the while. I slowly got up and started walking toward her desk. And then it happened again. My vision went dark and I felt like I was falling. Then I could see fine.

But again the scenery had changed. I was lying down on asphalt looking up into Janell's worried face. She relaxed a little once she realized I was waking up but she was still worried. I groaned, now feeling totally and completely sick. I was about to puke.

"Are you okay?" asked Janell.

Without answering I sat up pushing her out of my way and threw up in the bushes. I groaned again.

"Aimee?"

"I'm fine." I replied even though I didn't feel fine at all.

"No, you most definitely aren't." She replied.

"Then why'd you ask?" I replied, dazed.

"Cause I wanted you to tell me what was _wrong._" She said.

"I don't know. What happened?" I asked feeling completely dazed and strange.

"We were just walking out to the car when you fainted, or fell unconscious. You were out for about 2 minutes. You nearly gave me a heart attack!" she said. "Have you been staying up all night? Or stopped eating? Did you hit your head earlier? Is that why you weren't ready when I came? You haven't been eating poison again have you?" her voice was steadily rising as her panic started growing.

"No." I said firmly. "I'm _fine_. I've been eating and sleeping and I haven't hit my head or been previously ill and NO I haven't eaten any poison!" I replied. "Wait…when have I eaten poison before?" I asked. I'd done a lot of crazy things but I couldn't remember that one.

"Remember? You were 11 and I dared you to eat that poisonous plant as a complete joke and then you actually started eating it, (it was before I knew you took a dare very seriously), and I had to rush you to the hospital and-"

"Okay! Yeah, I remember now. Thanks." I cut her off. She hadn't taken a breath and if I hadn't stopped her she probably would have passed out. Janell could get over worried sometimes.

"But seriously, I'm fine."

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"People don't just fall to the ground unconscious Aimee."

"Look, I'm fine. It was probably nothing." I told her this to calm her down but I couldn't help wondering myself what was going on. My dream, which is what it must have been, had been as real as everything going on right now. Except for the fact I couldn't seem to think straight or move properly in my dream. I was now feeling better by the minute although my head was still fuzzy and I felt weak.

"Come on, let's go. I'm gonna be late." I told her as I started heading for her car.

"I don't think you should go to school today." She said firmly. I sighed.

"Janell, I am _fine._ I don't even feel sick anymore. I probably just ate something that made me sick and now it's out of my system."

"That doesn't explain falling unconscious." She said.

"Look, I'm getting in the car and if you don't drive me I'll drive myself and get arrested and then you'll have to bail me out of jail." I said as I got in her car on the drivers side turning the keys so the car would start. She glared at me but came over, opening the driver's door allowing me to get out before she got in. She knew I was serious. When we got to school she eyed me carefully and said, "Take it easy today kay?"

"Sure thing." I replied.

I walked into Clover High feeling very insecure. What a morning I'd had already and the day was just starting. I realized I was late. I was never late. I was walking in the hallway when I stopped. It was all eerily familiar. My dream had been about school. It must just remind me of it, I thought. While I was thinking, Pete came up behind me bumping me so I fell to the floor.

"You're late Tweety! I'd hurry up if I were you! I know how you hate to get detention!" he called back to me. A lump formed in my throat and my stomach twisted into a knot. Hadn't he said the exact same thing in my dream? I picked myself up along with my books which were lying all over the hallway floor.

I then ran to my class and hesitatingly opened the door. And there was the exact same scene before me as the one I had seen in my dream. All the students were sitting listening to Mrs. Gilbert who had already started teaching. And there was Pete smirking in the back of the room. Mrs. Gilbert looked at me and said, "Well, Miss Dawson, I'm glad you decided to join us. We were afraid you had gotten lost. Please take your seat and see me after class."

I couldn't believe what was happening.

"I-". I quickly shut my mouth. I was going to tell her about being sick but thought better of it.

"Yes?" She asked.

"-would be happy to." I finished. I gasped realizing I had said the exact same thing in my dream. I sat down feeling flustered and confused. Soon I felt something tugging my hair and then I heard Pete say, "What happened this morning? Did a cat try to eat you?"

This just wasn't happening. I grabbed my hair out of his hands and just ignored him. He was about to say something else when Mrs. Gilbert said, "Is there a problem Peter?"

"No." He mumbled.

"Good." She replied.

As soon as the bell rang everyone was out the door in a flash. As Pete passed my desk he bumped it making my pencil fall off. I was completely expecting this by now so I snatched it before it reached the ground. The speed of my action somewhat caught Pete off guard and he hesitated.

"Let me guess…I'm a looser right?"

His eyes widened and he left the classroom without another word. Could my world be any more upside down right now? So much for taking it easy today.


End file.
